Wire stripper



` Nov. 17, 1953 WIRE DAVISON STRIPPER Filed April 30', 1949 Patented Nov. 17, 1953 WIRE s'rmrrlm` Edward YD. Davison, Waukegan, Ill., assigner of one-half to Thomas Polansek, Waukegan, Ill.

Application April 30, 1949, Serial N o.` 90,575

3 Claims.

. i The invention pertains toV an instrument or tool adapted to be held in the hand of the user for use in cutting and stripping the insulation or sheathing from electric wire although also adapted for use as a wire cutter, as a gripping tool and for other purposes. One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described by which insulation, covering or sheath of a nono vmetallic nature of an electric wire may be cut both longitudinally andvcircumferentially of and stripped from the wire withoutvinjury to the ywire or without injury to an inner wrapping or insulationwhere there Yare twoor more layers or wrappings about the wire and-it is desired to remove only an outer layerorV layers thereof.

Anothel` important object is to provide a device ofthe character described whereby" the insulation cover or sheath of a wire may be removed over any desired length of the wire whether at an end of the wire or over a length intermediate ofthe' wire endsthe device also being adapted to effect scraping of the exposed wire surface-to effect better electrical contact therewith. l D

Y Special features and objectives of the invention -also reside in-an arrangementwhereby .both the vlo depth of the cut'` along the length ofthe wire,

that is, longitudinally of the wire axis, and the depth of the cut transversely or circumferentially ofthe wire axis may be regulated'to a nicety and` whereby thelcutting depth of one cutter may be predetermined independently of .the cutting depth of the other cutter or with andi/by the adjustment of the other cutterwhereby simultaneouslyA to set Vpredetermined cutting dept-hs for both longitudinal and circumferential or. transverse cutting, etc.

Other objects. as well as the uses of the inventionwill be or should become apparent and understoodafterreading the f ollowing description and claims and after viewing a preferred embodimentillustrated in the ac.- lcornpanying drawings, in which: l Y

Fig. 1 is a ViewV in side elevation showinggthe parts in operative position for cutting the insular-A,

tion of a wire longitudinally at one end of the wire;` Y' I Fig.2 is a top viewrofthe device of Fig. 1; Fig.V 3. is a View in side elevation of a fragment of the device illustrating the manner in which insulation is cut circumferentially ofxthegwire `and stripped therefrom,;.and c,

,jFig. 4 is anend elevationlooking -at'the Vleft Vfhtndendgof Eig. 3.. t A

,Yadvantasesand A pair of bars 5 and 5a suitably shaped to provide hand grips are hinged together at one end of each by a screw or other form of pintle 6 and are normally urged apart by a leaf spring I which, at one end,v presses against the bar 5 as indicated at 8 and, at its other end, is anchored as by a screw 9 to an abutment shoulder Il forming `part of the hinge of the bar 5a. The axis of the hinge or pivot between the bars 5, 5a is displaced forwardly of the center of the hinge abutments of the bars or grips 5- and 5a, and the hinge abutments of the bar 5 to the rear of the hinge or pivot are rounded on a short radius as indicated at I2 for engagement with the surface I3 of the bar 5a, thereby to limit the opening or outward movements of the 'bars from one another under the iniiuence of spring 1. Ordinarily, the bars will'not need to move apart farther than the distance indicated by the dotted position ofeobar 5 andthe full line position of bar 5a inligl.

The free end of bar'5 is cut away at one side as 'indicated at I4 for reception of a V-grooved roller I5 freely rotatable uponl a screw pivotIB having threaded engagement as indicated at VI1 with a threaded bore in the Vend of the bar ,5.`

The axisxof rotation of the roller I5 preferably is perpendicular to a median plane passing Y through bothsbars 5 and 5a. This roller carried vfor tightly gripping and guiding therebetween by the free end of the bar 5, togetherwith the rollers 36 and 36a disposed at the Iopposite sides of a cutting blade 4I which arehereinafter more fully described, provide clamping jaws or means the sheathed or insulated Wire to 'be stripped of its insulation or sheathing. By reason ofthe free rotation of these rollers, the stripper or tool may Y A. be lreadily moved or drawn longitudinally ofthe` wirevor the wire drawn longitudinally of the stripper or tool and'guided between thefrollersL whereupon the cutting .blade longitudinally slits V.this insulation Vor sheathing to apredetermined I depth. The opposite 'side vof the free end of the bar 5 is cut-away toprovide a recess YI8 for'the reception' of one end of van L-shapedvstop meniber I9 'and a screw or the'like 2I, which is threaded in'tothe bar end through arhole in the stop member 'l 9, thereby to retain the stop member."

.Between the recesses I4 and I8is'a, cutter jawV member 22 which is held rigidly tothe V'inside surface of the bar 5 -byfa `screw or other fastening means :23. The outer? end of the jawisiturned downwardlylat right angles'to the remainderof the cutter jaw member and terminates ,ino-a V}- notch 24 providing cutting edges 25, the beveled faces of which are directed toward the observer in Fig. 4. Similarly mounted on the inside surface of a boss 26 integral with the outer end of the bar 5a is a cooperative cutter jaw member 21 having an up-turned right angle shearing jaw portion 28, V-notched as indicated at 29 in Fig. 4, and beveled to provide cutting edges cooperative with the cutting edges 25. Viewing Fig. 4, the beveled surfaces of the cutting edges 29 are facing away from the observer so that the flat sides of jaws 22 and 28 slide on one another and, between them, provide a shearing effect. The jaw member 21 is held rigidly on the boss 26 by screw or the like 3|.

Extending through the boss 26 is a threaded bore adapted to have threaded engagement with an adjustment screw 32, the head of which may be knurled as indicated at 33 to provide a finger grip for turning it. The screw 32 provides an adjustable abutment cooperativev with the projecting arm 34 of the stop member |9 when the latter is turned from the position indicated in Fig. 2 to that indicated in Figs. 3l and 4, thereby to limit the movement of the free ends ofv the two bars 5 and 5a toward one another.

One side of the free end of the bar 5a is also out away as indicated at 35 to provide clearance for a pair of rollers 36 and 35a which are freely rotatable upon a pivot provided by a screw 31 secured in the free end of the bar 5a. The axis of rotation of the rollers 36 and 36a preferably is parallel to the axis of rotation of the roller l5, and the rollers 36 and 36a are so mounted as to be cooperative with the roller l5 to receive and retain a wire therebetween. Each of the rollers 36a is beveled on both circumferential edges, as is clearly apparent from the drawing, so that either may be the inner orouter roll, the two being interchangeable with one another.

Secured as by a screw 38 to the innerflat sur- `face of the bar 5a is a leaf spring or thelike 39 carrying a cutter 4.0 the blade of which, designated 4|, is disposed between the two rollers 36 and 36a. The plane of the blade V4| is generally parallel to the planes of rotation of thev rollers 36 'and 36a, and the blade is preferablyscarfed or beveled on both sides. of its rearwardly facing edge and on. an arc as shown in Fig. 1 so as to engage the wire sheath or insulation and cut the same longitudinally of the wire axis. The cutter is normally retracted toward the bar 5a by the action ofthe leaf spring 39, and this movement retracts the blade 4|. radially inward of the rollers 36, 35a. In order to move the blade 4| radially outward centrally of the groove provided by the adjacent beveled. edges of the rollersV 36; 36a a knurled head set screw or the like 42 is threadedly engaged in a bore within the bar 5a i and atits inner end presses against theleaf spring 39. In this manner the cutter blademay be set toicut to a predetermined depth toward the wire in the sheath and, as the :wire is drawn relatively between the rollers l5 and 36, 36a, the insulation or sheath will be cut to a uniform depth longitudinally of the wire.

The illustrated device may be held inY either hand: of the user in almost any convenient position, it being understood that Asome may prefer to hold the two bars or grips 5 and 5a in a more or less horizontal plane, whereas other users may desire, to hold the device with the bar or grip-5a upward and directly above thebar or grip 5, depending upon the whim ofthe user; VIn any event, when vit is desiredto strip the insulation or sheathing from an end portion of a piece of insulated electric wire, the cutter blade 4| may rst be employed to split or slit the insulation entirely along that length which is to be removed. Thereafter, the cutter jaws 22 and 28 may be brought together to the desired extent, as may be determined by the set screw 32, to cut the insulation circumferentially at the point from which it is to be stripped. Ii' it is necessary, the cutter jaws may be rotated 9U relative to the wire and brought together again to complete severance of the insulation in ease the first operation is not suilicient.

Some operators may desire to cut the insulation circumferentially, using the jaws 22 and 28. before slitting the insulation longitudinally through the use of the blade 4| and, in some cases, it may not be necessary to employ the blade 4| at all since a pull upon the circumferentially severed insulation may result in its removal from the wire end. However, where a portion of insulation is to be removed intermediate of the ends of a piece of wire, it is necessary to cut or break the insulation longitudinally over the length of that portion which is to be removed and, for such purpose, the blade 4| is especially useful. As will be appreciated, the adjustment of the screw 32 determines the proximity of approach of the jaws .22, 28 toward one another by engaging with the adjustable abutment 34. If desired, the abutment 34 may be swung out of the way and the jaws 22, 28 may be brought together to effect shearing of the wire, whether the wire is or is not covered with an insulating sheath. The jaws 22, 28 may also be used to scrape the conductor wire to insure good electrical contact.

While I have illustrated and described what is at present the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms and that various changes and modiiications may be made in the details without departing from the invention spirit or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tool of the character described, a pair of relatively rigid hand-grip members pivotally .connected together adjacent to one end of each Vfor relative pivotal movements ofk their opposite ends toward and from one another, a circumferentially grooved roller rotatably mountedv on the said other end of one member on an axis extending transversely of the path of movement of said other ends toward and from one another, a `pair of rollers rotatably mounted adjacent to 'but spaced from one another on said other end of the other member on an axissubstantially parallel to the axis of `rotationof the rst said roller, said rollers being cooperative with'one another to roll along a sheathed wire therebetween with said grooved roller on one member and said pair of rollers on the other member being free to rotate and to receive and grip therebetween the sheathed wire but permit sai'dtocl to be moved relative to and longitudinally of'said wire upon a pulling effort causing'rotation of said rollers, a spring-mounted sheath-cutting `blade secured to lsaid other member and disposed between said pa1r of. rollers, and means for moving said blade relative to said pair of rollers inaV path towrd and from the bottom of the groove of the first said roller. I' f 3 2. In a tool of thecharacter describedla pair of relatively 'rigid hand-grip members) pivotally connected together adjacent td one endgf'each for relative pivotal movements of their opposite ends toward and from one another, spring means normally urging said opposite ends of said members apart, a circumferentially grooved roller rotatably mounted on the said other end of one member on an axis extending transversely of the path of movement of said other ends toward and from one another, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted adjacent to one another on said other end of the other member on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the first said roller, said rollers being cooperative with one another to roll along a sheathed wire therebetween with said grooved roller on one member and said pair of rollers on the other member being free to rotate and to receive and grip therebetween the sheathed wire but permit said tool to be moved relative to and longitudinally of said wire upon a pulling effort causing rotation of said rollers, a sheath-cutting blade disposed between said pair of rollers, a spring mounting said blade upon said other member and normally tending to move said blade away from said first mentioned roller, and means for moving said blade relative to said pair of rollers in a path toward and from the bottom of the groove of the first said roller.

3. In a tool of the character described, a pair of relatively rigid hand-grip members pivotally connected together adjacent to one end of each for relative pivotal movements of their opposite ends toward and from one another, spring means normally urging said opposite ends of said members apart, a circumferentially grooved roller rotatably mounted on the said other end of one mem- -6 ber on an axis extending transversely of the path of movement of said other ends toward and from one another, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted adjacent to one another on said other end of the other member on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rst said roller, said rollers being cooperative with one another to roll along a sheathed wire therebetween with said grooved roller on one member and said pair of rollers on the other member being free to rotate and to receive and grip therebetween the sheathed wire but permit said tool to be moved relative to and longitudinally of said wire upon a pulling effort causing rotation of said rollers, a sheathcutting blade carried by said other member and disposed between said pair of rollers, means for moving said blade relative to said pair of rollers in a path toward the 'bottom of the groove of the rst said roller, and spring means between said blade and said other member and upon which said blade is mounted for normally tending to move said blade away from the first said roller. EDWARD D. DAVISON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 14,169 Aaron July 25, 1916 562,097 Rieckel June 16, 1896 927,345 Furlong July 6, 1909 964,600 Adams July 19, 1910 1,857,731 Lund May 10, 1932 1,881,020 McFarland Oct. 4, 1932 2,300,087 Anello Oct. 27, 1942 2,346,227 Martin Apr. 11, 1944 

